Tough acts to follow, Mr. Speaker, but I'll get in here and do my bit at bat here. There's almost a theatrical, dramatic element to this and a question that we can put to ourselves, Mr. Speaker, to bridge or not to bridge?

---Laughter

There's the rub. I've been 43 years living in Yellowknife and in the North, Mr. Speaker. I've seen several versions of this movie. They've all had the same sad, sorry, no-go ending and it's about time now that we can change the ending of this story.

---Applause

I can't imagine a better time for us to endeavour to do this. Four years ago, in fact almost to the day, Mr. Chairman, it was June 12, 2003, four years ago that the Deh Cho Bridge Act passed in here and I was happy to be one of the people to support it then. So we tried to rewrite the ending of the story then and it's before us, not the bill of course, but the same nagging, lingering questions. Gee, can we really do it? Yes - we - can.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So what I'm hearing is we're going to take a neutral stand on these projects; we're not going to evaluate them for their relative merits and then seek out one that we can support. So I guess my question is, are we going to be standing on the sidelines as the two projects develop, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given the significance of these, does it not make sense, is there no kind of process underway or at least under contemplation, Mr. Speaker, that would involve Nunavut, Canada, us and industry to assess these and make some long-term decisions that will work for us? Is there a process underway that we can participate in, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. Speaker, thank you. My questions this afternoon are for Mr. Menicoche, the Minister for Transportation. Mr. Speaker, there are two visionary projects in play right now to open up the diamond fields and other mineral areas north and east of Yellowknife to more secure transportation. The Bathurst Inlet port and road proposal, which would bring things in via the Arctic Ocean marine route, and, of course, the Tibbet to Contwoyto seasonal winter road project. Both have

significant ramifications for our economy; both will require significant public and/or private investment. It is likely, though, that perhaps only one will make it, at least in the near future. Mr. Speaker, which one does the GNWT prefer?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will these reforms enable families who are able to tap into our support system and provide that kind of long-term support in their homes as opposed to having to look perhaps only at institutions as their only real options? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's very good news and I know a lot of families will be looking forward to hearing about this next month. Mr. Speaker, the Minister mentioned children and perhaps I missed something in his reply but I would like to confirm, are we also going to be acknowledging or accommodating adults, Mr. Speaker, who can sometimes find themselves in situations where they are perhaps as helpless as children but still warrant and can be provided the support of families? Will we be acknowledging the situations for disabled adults, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, my questions this afternoon are for Mr. Dent, the Minister responsible for Persons with Disabilities. Mr. Speaker, it's long been recognized that our disabilities and income support policies can prevent some significant barriers to families wishing to care for long-term disabled family members in their homes. We have had two initiatives underway for quite some time; several years, Mr. Speaker. These include the disabilities framework and the government-wide income security reform review. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister advise whether either of these initiatives will address the barriers that exist in our policies to providing and assisting families with long-term care for disabled members in their homes? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I appreciate the acknowledgement of my colleagues in the involvement that I have been very pleased to have with this exchange student. So it is certainly a pleasure to recognize Mr. Emil Madsen, Miss Letizia Foracchia and Miss Hiu Ying Lau. I would also like to recognize a resident of my constituency, at least on a temporary basis, Miss Jessica Monnaie, who is from Belgium, not an official exchange student but very much one of our community. She is staying with her aunt, Ms. Nancy Trotter. Of course, Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not recognize another constituent and a very loyal companion of mine, my constituency assistant, Mr. John Argue.

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, the committee looked into the area of child and family services committees in communities. It is a sad commentary that only the community of Fort McPherson has taken advantage of provisions of the Child and Family Services Act, that allow for the community agreements and the formation of a child and family services committee.

A community agreement allows a community corporation to establish their own community standards, which, as long as they meet the minimum standards set out in the regulations, reflect the realities of life in the community and the standard of care for apprehended children. They can also establish community standards to reflect whether a child is in need of protection under all of the reasons outlined in section 7(3).

For example, Mr. Speaker, young children out late at night unsupervised in Yellowknife would be of concern to a child protection worker and the Yellowknife Child and Family Services Committee, if one existed. The same level of concern may not exist for the child protection worker and the child and family services committee in a smaller, isolated community, and they would be able to establish their own standards to deal with such circumstances.

A community child and family services committee, as previously referenced in this report, would be a valuable resource in helping child protection workers, who may not be familiar with the local customs and families, in placing apprehended children with suitable members of the child's extended family within the child's home community.

There are also provisions for a member of the child and family services committee to sit on each child's individual plan of care committee and provide their input to reflect community standards and culture. In addition, if the child

protection worker is unable to get a plan of care agreement in place, they can turn to the chairperson of the committee for assistance. This allows greater opportunity for an agreement to be reached.

There are also provisions that the chairperson of the committee could be delegated the powers of a child protection worker and be allowed to apprehend a child in need of protection. Committee thought that, while not ideal, this may be a power that will encourage a community without a child protection worker or an RCMP presence to consider forming their own child and family services committee.

In questioning witnesses like Ms. Alana Mero and Ms. Denise Kurszewski, who appeared before committee during the hearings on Bill 5, it became apparent to Members that there was a buy-in on the child's individual plan of care committee and a general recognition that this works well in ensuring that the needs of the child are met and that parents are represented in the process.

However, Mr. Speaker, there seemed to be little knowledge of the ability of a community to enter into agreements and establish community child and family service committees. This was also reflected in the comments we heard in Behchoko.

All Members of this House are approached by communities and asked to help empower them to deal with their own problems. We can point to community justice committees as an example of community empowerment. The role of the community justice committees in delivering services and dispensing justice is evolving, and is being recognized through increased supports and funding by the Department of Justice.

The Social Programs committee pressed hard over the life of this Assembly to secure increased funding and supports for the community justice committees. While this battle is far from over, Mr. Speaker, it is apparent that the issue of funding and supporting community justice committees is at least on the radar of the Department of Justice.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask my colleague, the Member for Nunakput, to continue to report.